There I was,reflected in the glass,paying attention to these imaginativere-imagings of Ansel Adams's world. In AbelardoMorell's exploration of the microcosmos and the macrocosmosI saw the tenuous balance between individualrights and collective responsibilitynecessary in any​democracy.​

​Strange,to feel at homein a large, meanderingexhibit in an even larger museum,but the message of these works was closeto home. Yes, we can move sand. Yes,lupine does grow after a fire.Yes,we have the power to renewnot just ourselves, but theplanet as well. Yes.

]]>Sun, 03 Feb 2019 20:57:04 GMThttp://www.evelynrswett.com/by-degrees/by-degrees-an-artists-origin-storyHow did I get here?​Why does it matter?

2014:Then I foundRufus and George.Why not let them speak for me?Our global problems are all about consumptionand our need for objects of all kinds. What insights coulda ruffled 50-year-old Steif Chimpanzee and a brokenchina pug share about our relationship to allour belongings, big and small?So I briefly had a blogcalled "Rufus &​George."

2015:There wasa problem, though.I had more to say than Rufus &George understood, about how stuck we seemed,caught between 20th century expectations and 21st centuryrealities. It hit me when I forgot to pull up instead of push down whenI peed. It's so confusing, changing a habit I'd had my entire life.Flush the toilet. Push down. Until now, when everythingwas a hybrid. So I created a blog, a business,and a book, all called "Our​Hybrid Lives."​

2016:But I was stuck.Why would anyone care?Who was I behind the blog, bookand business? What was I trying to prove, and towhom? So I got help. When my new business coach askedme those same questions, I knew, in my heart, that Iwas a photographer. When she asked me what Iloved, I knew -- compost and being outsideand noticing light and texture andbeauty. So I ignored all I hadbeen doing, got mycamera andexplored.

2017:I kept exploring,while taking small stepsforward. A web site. A business card.A trip to New York City to photograph compost& a few months later, have a 'pop-up' show whereI stood by my work and told people I was aphotographer and that I was intocompost, which kept invitingme to go deeper, beyondthe soil, and into​myself.

2018:I kept diving.Saboteurs yacked on my shoulder, but I kept going. A visit to my sister in Idaho gave me timeto process. Compost, it seems, has the answers for me.Pay attention. Be patient. Honor micro- dramas.Allow for the mess and complexitycontained in any story, evenmy own. Change "bydegrees."

2019:Clarity emerges.My work inspires joy andnew ways of being by celebrating this​magical convergence of creativity and climate actionthat I experience every day. Who knew?Welcome. This is going to be fun.Maybe we'll meet in personsome day and you canshare your storywith me.

So that's how I got here.It matters because you matter and yourstory matters. Even if, like mine, your journey includesfalse starts and stops and takes you this way and that, it's relevant and of value.Because, in a democracy,we all matter.

The re-imagined Hood Museum of Art re-opened​last weekend at Dartmouth College.​Among the treasures, I sawthis work by Elias Sime.Undulating. Pulsing. In motion. Alive. And yet it's made out of castoffmotherboards, toxic contributors to multitudes of e-waste.

And yet the city he envisions is "a sprawling ecosystemof form and water." It's a huge work, covering awall. Is it a tile mosaic? Is it marble?No. It's a captivating vision ofwhat's possible when we see beyondwhat appears toxic and allow beauty to emerge. Bliss.

El Anatsui, Hover, 2003 at The Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, NH

And then, on another wall, in the same gallery, this.El Anatsui's "shimmering tapestry" evokingmaterial flowing in a breeze, but no,it's a carefully constructed compilation ofbottle tops and copper wire. Garbage comes to life.

So when I got home with this week's buckets full ofcompost from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe,I was startled when I saw this.Lemons. Lots of lemons. I hadn't plannedon taking any photographs, but who could resist the vibrancy?

Compost lemons from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe, Hanover, NH

That's how it is for me. Apparent waste evokes joy. Thereis possibility. I wonder if that's what Elias Simeor El Anatsui were thinking? Or not.It's just what happens when creativity andclimate action converge at the compost pile or anywhere.

What have you seen or experienced this weekthat evokes joy or invites creativity? Letit happen, when and whereverit may. It's magical and life-giving and forme, makes the world a much more interesting place.

I've neverembroidered before,but I decided to embroiderexcerpts from Walt Whitman'spoem "This Compost." While he mayhave written about dead corpses followingthe American Civil War, I re-imaginedhis words and considered wasteinstead, and the power ofthe earth to renewherself againand again.

We have thatsame power. Every January 1st to begin again.Whitman's is an optimistic poem reflecting our innate American optimism.I celebrate this poem not just because2019 is the 200th anniversary ofWhitman's birth, but alsobecause his messageis more importantnow than ever.

My individualstitches might be unevenand the text written on an old pillowcasemay be awkward, but seen from afar, the colorsare bright, cheerful and make me wantto smile. Optimism is all I know.So here we come 2019,on stitch at a time...

I launchedmy online climate'coaching' class and ampetrified. What if no one is interested or needs what I haveto offer? But I show up, one week, one stitchat a time andknow it isgood.

1995 sheepskin fleece washed for the first time in 20 years!

I came homefrom Mexico to findthat my anxious dog hadpeed all over the sheepskin rugI stand on to write these blog posts.Frustrated? You bet. But what's a gal to do?A few squirts of soap, some aggressivemassaging of the fleece and somepatience while it dried was allthat was needed. This iswhat I tell myself.New Year. Newventures.Patience.

Compost, Hanover, NH By Evelyn R. Swett

So here we are.It's 2019. The UN ClimateReport says we have twelve years.Our job is to show up, support each other andget the job done. For me, that involvespersistence and patience and a whole lot of bravery asI creatively try newthings. Whatabout​you?

Boxing Day.December 26th.Celebrated in the UK. Formost people it means a day to hangout with family, eat leftovers and enjoy giftsgiven and received. But historically, it was also a day​to give "Christmas Boxes" to the servants, who would go homeand celebrate Christmas with ​their own families after​having cared for you on the 25th.

Or, perhaps theterm 'Boxing Day' comesfrom the nautical tradition wherebygreat sailing ships carried a sealed box of moneyfor good luck which, upon return, would be given to a priestwho would distribute the money to those in​need on the day after Christmas.

Here in New England,we get back to work - - there isno "Bank Holiday" for us. But over the past​decade, I have created my own "Boxing Day" tradition.

Photographs that are labels on Christmas Day, or beautiful holiday cardsbecome decorations on a box the next. And all that wrappingpaper gets a longer life, glued to a sneakerbox or packing box and used​year after year.

It started witha desire to save paper andreduce holiday waste. But over time,​it became something more - - A kind of compulsionto fix what I had using materials at hand -not just cards and paper,​but fabric as well.

One year, I redidour recycling container.The next, I created boxes to usefor grocery shopping. They were so admiredat our food co-op, I made some as giftsfor the clerks. Apparently one ofthe boxes ​is now the bed​for a very happy cat.

What makes me happiest,is that my son and daughter love tofind their custom gift boxes under the tree.No need for labels. And certainly noneed for new wrapping paper.It's become a tradition - -

Our veryown Boxing Day.To me, that's what makes ourcurrent time so inspiring. There are opportunitiesfor the creative re-making of the world as we know it.As I discovered with a bunch of cards, paperand fabric, beauty is everywhere.What might you create ordiscover this lastweek of2018?

I don't know about you, but I love the clarity andfocus of a puzzle. I start with the edges andmove on to specific colors or scenes.

Sometimes I have to change myperspective or walk away and come back later.It's amazing how even then, it can be hardto see what is sitting right​in front of you.

Like these gaps.I spent hours looking...I sorted thepieces by shape and color and still had no luck.Then my husband showed up and inless than two minutes, these​three holes were filled.

At first, I was mad.How dare he come along and ​make it look so easy?

And then, I remember.That's what makes a second opinionor a second set of eyes so valuable. New perspectivesmake something seemingly difficultappear simple and self-evident.How cool is that?

So in my last postI talked about Reparations and Carbon Offsets and how excited I am to share my family's offsets with our local Advance Transit.

It was easy to go online and set up sustaining monthlydonations. We've amortized what we owe, so we'llpay off our travel debt over time,while also supporting​an invaluable localresource.

When I thinkabout climate action,I realize it's all about sharing - not just the financial resources we may have,but also our time, ideas and points of view. It turns out thatcollaboration is critical, but so is having a plan, likestrategies for a jig-saw puzzle, or methods forpaying carbon debts we didn't evenrealize we had.

Will Moses, Butternut Bend 24 x 30 www.willmoses.com

I may be an artist,but I am also a planner and, rumor has it, a motivating teacher. So I'vecreated an online 'class' that inspires people to divedeep, take control, and find joy as theyparticipate in guided actionthroughout 2019.​Stay tuned...If you are looking for a climate action plan, I've got one for you.

]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:42:35 GMThttp://www.evelynrswett.com/by-degrees/puzzles-part-1-reparationsReparations:the making of amends for a wrong one has done,​by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.

Eiffel Tower at Night, 2012

It's been three years since the Paris ClimateAccord. Apparently one of the reasons the Unites States haswithdrawn ​is that we do not want to pay our fare share of climate expenses.

It really is a puzzle. There are all these messy pieces, but the parameters are clear.We have to transition away from carbon-based fuels as quickly as possible.And as the recent National Climate Assessment Report suggests,we don't have much time. The warnings have been loud andclear this year, with enormous fires and storms.But our leaders ignore the signs...

My left ankle, taped

I get it.​I'm now doing physical therapy for injuriesI received during the summer, but ignored. It was just too​inconvenient. But, if I had acknowledged the irregular pains, and ifI had actually rested it right away, my ankle might have healed a lot ​faster.Does this sound familiar? Let's just ignore the problem.​It might go away...

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico 2016

I don't know about you,but I display this kind of behavior all the time.In my head, I know one thing. In my heart I know another thing.And then I act as if none of those understandings or feelings existed!

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico 2016

On a trip to Mexico a few years ago, we had a beachside room that was not very romantic - - Each day, the tide came higher and higher and each night I woke to the sound ofwaves crashing beneath me. It was frightening. I vowed to never travelagain. I did not want to be part of the problem...But guess who's going to Mexico with her extended family this year?It was just too good to pass up...

Lyn's Lifetime Air Travel Record

What about the climate?Yes, but what about my extended family?It's a choice many of us make all the time, especially aroundholidays. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, like when I first see all thosepuzzle pieces in a pile on the table, I took action by gathering data. I may be an artist,but I value real information. The facts. So I investigated the climate impact of my traveling. Here's what I discovered: When combining all trips I have taken alone and with myfamily, beginning with my first international ​trip to Ireland & England, in1974, ​I have traveled 208,674 miles on 105 different trips. That's thesame distance as flying eight times around the equator. ​Total Carbon impact: 141.26 tons.

Lyn in London, 1974

What's a gal to do?​Cross her arms, plant her feet,and say "so what?" Or, perhaps, get on with it andtake responsibility? I'm tired of ignoring warning signs and not takingaction, so I went online and learned that 'all' I need to do was pay $4,146 to offset​the carbon impact of my family's adventures. (www.myclimate.org).

Florida sunrise, 2007

A carbon offset:a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gasesmade in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere.

Textiles in Ecuador, 2011

I had been petrified to learn what we might owe for our family's amazing adventuresand it was that fear that had kept me from exploring offsets sooner. But here Iam, still icing my ankle and feeling rather stupid. If we had paid offsetsas we went we would not have this debt for which we had notbudgeted. I wonder if our leaders feel stupid too...

Railway station in Germany, 2012

Sometimes, as hard as it may be, we have to admitour mistakes and pay our fare share for the privileges we have.Given the National Climate Assessment's re-evaluation of our current climatecircumstances, it seems appropriate that we pay the carbon debt we oweas quickly as possible. ​It's just the right thing to do.Thank you, President George H.W. Bush.Country (and planet) before self. Next week, in part 2, I'll​talk about how.

In my sister's car somewhere in Montana, 2015

]]>Sun, 25 Nov 2018 19:53:22 GMThttp://www.evelynrswett.com/by-degrees/on-becoming-with-michelle"It's a process, steps along a path.Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor.Becoming is never giving up on the ideathat there's more growingto be done."- Michelle Obama from Becoming

Naturally, I bought her latest book, Becoming, the day it came out and, because I had a bad cold, was able to sit on the couch, drink tea and read it from cover to cover. I love that the keys on my piano are chipped, like the one she learned to play on, and that I would probably feel comfortable inviting her to my house for conversation by the fire. She's that real.

Michelle Obama, Becoming, and puzzle strategies

Earlier today, while I was working on my annual 'between-holiday' puzzle, I wondered if Michelle ever does puzzles. And if she does, what is her approach? Does she do the edges first, like me? Does she sort by shape or color? Is she methodical or random? It doesn't really matter, but Becoming was an invitation to consider our commonalities. As she writes at the end of the Epilogue, "Let's invite one another in. Maybe we can begin to fear less, to make fewer assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same."

Thanksgiving compost

Snow and 4 degrees, before Thanksgiving?

It was this spirit that inspired my exploration of compost. To me, it was so much more than necessary nutrients for the garden. It became a metaphor for what it means to be an American. Without diversity of the green and brown stuff (nitrogen and carbon), patience and periodic attention, my compost pile would be an unproductive mess. Since diversity is our strength, why, then, do people fear it?

The News, Compost, and The All of It

A few days ago, I tore up some recent newspapers (The Valley News, our local paper) to offset all the vegetable scraps from Umpleby's Cafe and looked closely at what I saw in the compost pile. The stories covered everything from immigration conflicts along our border with Texas and deadly runaway fires in California to the dangers of E-Cigarettes and a recent shooting. Among these dramatic issues, each of which deserves our attention, there was an invitation to buy skis and yet another Snoopy carton. There are big problems in the world, but we can't solve them ourselves. We have to move beyond fear and ski if we love to and laugh at Snoopy, because it just feels good. These are ways we get out of ourselves.

Voting in Hanover, NH November 2018

"We all play a role in this democracy.We need to remember the power of every vote.I continue, too, to keep myself connected to a forcethat's larger and more potent than any one election, orleader, or news story - and that's optimism.For me, this is a form of faith,​an antidote to fear."- Michelle Obama from Becoming

Thank you, Michelle Obama, for your optimism.

Thank you, Michelle, for your invitation, your inspiration, and your optimism. You give me confidence to build this blog, By Degrees, and to share practical ways we can become the people are meant to be in a society that celebrates all of us.

Sharing Harvard

Our one true connection is Harvard. You went to law school and I earned my undergraduate degree in Fine Arts there. I wonder what you would think of my degree collage. For each of us, that experience in Cambridge, MA contributed to our capacity to share our stories with others and to have the confidence to put ourselves out there. I'm sorry that I won't be able to hear you speak in person, but I love your Instagram posts. With gratitude, Lyn

"It's not about being perfect.It's not about where you get yourself in the end.There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard,in owning your unique story, in using your authenticvoice. And there's grace in being willing to​know and hear others. This, for me,is how we become." - Michelle Obama from Becoming

]]>Thu, 25 Oct 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.evelynrswett.com/by-degrees/why-by-degreesWhy is this blog called By Degrees? Because...

Change happens in increments...until it doesn't;

We need to look at the world from many angles;

More people experience damage to their tissue because of the sun's increased power;​

There are many educated people with lots of diplomas,yet we still can't get along or figure out how to solve our current climate crisis;​

There is a difference between 2 and 1.5 degrees celsius. ​​

​Maybe it's time to literally 'reframe' the narrative.

Why not have a proverbial 'do-over' and see what emerges?​

By Degrees.We have degrees.We are separated by just a few degrees.We can have a 10 degree perspective or a 360 degree perspective.​We feel the heat. ​

It's time to look within and recompose our shared story. ​

By Degrees.Because change happens in logical steps and stages...​until it doesn't.

]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2018 22:05:07 GMThttp://www.evelynrswett.com/by-degrees/tree-solar-trade-offsWho knew trees could be so tricky? When looking for shade in a parking lot, I head for the trees. When seeking a place to hang a hammock, I look for trees. When wandering in the woods, I revel in the play of light through the leaves and branches. Trees, and the forests they inhabit, truly are the lungs of the earth. They absorb our poisons and release the oxygen we need to breath. Why then, given this reverence, would I advocate cutting them down in order to install solar panels?

To be clear, I love trees. I also love moving toward a 100% renewable future. If cutting trees allows me to reduce my personal and our collective dependence on toxic fuels, then it's something I am willing to consider, ​just as I am willing to consider altering mountain or ocean views in order to promote wind power (that's a different conversation). The fact is, I knew nothing about carbon sequestration when we cut dozens of trees to clear a view and to make room for more sun in 2004. It never occurred to me to do a cost-benefit analysis because I didn't know there was a choice. I loved trees from a distance, but hadn't really paid close attention to them.

Our goals were to create a soccer field for the kids, a vegetable garden, and a beautiful near and distant view. It's been almost 15 years and a lot has changed. We've planted a River Birch 'glen,' a bird-friendly hillside and a rain garden. We've installed solar panels and have a great lawn for all manner of sports. Each year, however, I become more and more curious about the trade-offs we made in order to create our own private Eden.

So here's what I've learned. On the most basic level, it's easy to plant new trees that serve multiple purposes but that won't block the sun. Fruit and nut trees, for example, absorb carbon and produce food. Flowering trees of all kinds provide nectar for pollinators and berries for birds. By cutting down all those evergreens all those years ago, we made room for a significantly more diverse landscape the provides food for us and a host of flying creatures.

When I did some research, I learned the following about the tree-solar trade-off. It takes 1.106 lbs of Co2 to produce 1 kwh of electricity so if you install a 5,000 kwh system, that would avoid 5,530 lbs of Co2 emissions each year.

No two trees are the same: A 30 year old white oak absorbs 60 lbs of carbon a year; A white pine absorbs 193 lbs of carbon a year; A fast growing red oak can absorb 240 lbs of carbon a year. In Hanover and much of New England, we have a lot of white pines. 5,530 lbs/193 lbs = 28.65 trees.If you cut less than 28 trees to maximize your solar options, don’t feel guilty in terms of carbon absorption and avoidance - - If you are cutting white pines.

I'm a photographer who loves trees and light. I'm also a gardener who loves backyard biodiversity and a world free from fossil fuel dependence. In my quest for a sustainable future for my family, I am constantly making trade-offs. We needed shade for our terrace and planted a tree whose maximum height is 30 feet, just below our rooftop panels. I had wanted an elegant oak, but needed to compromise as oaks get too large and would shade our rooftop panels. Who knew we would now have more than 15 varieties of trees on our property where before we just had white pines and a few oaks?

In July, we considered electric lawn care and the many alternatives to gas-powered machines, including reducing the actual size of your lawn. This month, we continue the lawn care theme, but address it from the point of view of the trees and solar power. Both absorb the light. Both generate energy from that light. At the moment, however, we need to maximize the rate at which we transition to renewables. If that transition necessitates cutting some trees, I am willing to do so, especially if that creates more light for more diverse plantings and clean energy.